I saw them coming.......

Ok. It seems that the year has begun and new changes in the requirements to obtain the residency visa are in place. I still don't have a clear idea on how these new changes are going to affect my application, so I'll let you know the minute I have any news. Actually, I'm hoping to be assigned a case officer before the mid-2010 because that's when the CSL is going to be revoked and there's going to be a new SOL. In case they don't assigned me a case officer before that time, let's hope that the new requirements are beneficial!!! I imagine that everyone that is in the same situation thinks exactly the same, right??

I know there are going to be several blogs posting this info but I'm going to post it anyway, just in case somebody hasn't read it yet.  I took it from the Getting Down Under website.

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1. Offshore General Skilled Migration Visa Applications made before the 1st September 2007 will be capped and then ceased.

OK, first things first and for many applicants (around 20,000 in fact) it’s not good news. In changes aimed at making skilled migration more responsive to Australia’s needs, all general skilled migration applications lodged before September 1, 2007 (when English and work experience requirements were, in theory easier), will have their applications withdrawn and application fees totalling $14 million refunded.

The Australian Government see this as ‘ending the ongoing uncertainty’ for offshore General Skilled Migrants although for many I’m sure it is the news they were dreading the most even if it does mean that the Visa Application Charge (VAC) is refunded.

On a more positive note applicants who have had their Visa Application revoked can still apply for any of the current GSM visa subclasses although they should be mindful of the need to meet the current legislative requirements which have changed significantly since 2007.

2. The current Critical Skills List (CSL) will be revoked and will be replaced by a new Skilled Occupations List (SOL) effective from the middle of 2010.

As part of today’s announcement, the government is looking to abolish the current list of Critical Skills, which contains 106 occupations.

For some time now the Australian Government has suggested that the CSL was always an interim measure whilst the Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL) review was being undertaken. For the first time however they’ve now set a target date of replacing the CSL with a new Skilled Occupations List which will become effective from the middle of 2010.

It is expected that the new SOL will be available for review by the 30th April 2010 with priority processing arrangements for applications with nominated occupations on the current CSL continuing until they are reviewed in Mid 2010.

3. The current Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL) will be revoked and replaced with the same (and more targeted) Skilled Occupations List.

As with the CSL, today’s announcement will also see the removal of the current Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL). The revocation of the current MODL will not affect applicants sponsored by an Australian employer, nor will it affect applicants who, at the date of this announcement (8th February 2010) hold a Skilled- Graduate (subclass 485) visa, or have a pending subclass 485 visa application and are yet to apply for a permanent or provisional General Skilled Migration (GSM visa), or have a pending GSM visa application

It’s also worth noting that the new SOL will not apply to people applying for a Skilled-Graduate (subclass 485) visa who at 8th February 2010 hold a:

Vocational Education and Training (subclass 572) visa.

Higher Education Sector (subclass 573) visa

Postgraduate Research Sector (subclass 574) visa.

Having said that, these student visa holders will still be required to have an occupation on the new SOL to apply for a permanent GSM Visa.

4. The General Skilled Migration (GSM) Points Test will be reviewed to evaluate the effectiveness of the current test.

The GSM Points Test Review will be undertaken in the first half of this year and a ‘discussion paper’ will be placed on the departments website (http://www.immi.gov.au/) by the 12th February 2010 which will then be open for public comment until the 12th March 2010.

It is not know at this stage whether the government will decide to make changes to the GSM points test, however, at a guess we think that they will. it’s been suggested that the current point test can distort outcomes for a skilled migrant. One example used on the Governments own website was a comparison between an international student who studied hairdressing in Australia compared to an applicant who has a PHD in environmental science from Harvard University.

The hairdresser past the points test with no problems gaining 135 points whilst the scientist failed the test with only 100 points. Although 10 of the hairdressers extra points were due to the occupation being more in demand then scientists; the extra 25 came from a combination of the hairdressers being on the MODL and having 12 moths Australian work experience. All things that the Australian Government says do ‘not always lead to outcomes that are consistent with the objectives of the General Skilled Migration Program.

5. New priority processing arrangements will be introduced for certain skilled migration visas.

The priority processing arrangements are designed to ensure that the Australian Economy gets the skills it needs now, rather than those of the visa applicants who applied first. If you are on the list then I’m sure you’ll love these changes..

The changes take effect from today and apply to applications lodged on or after this date. The changes also apply to applications that had been lodged previously with the department and have not been finalised.

The new priority processing arrangements will apply to the following Visas:

Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS)

Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS)

The General Skilled Migration (GSM) Visas listed below:

Skill Matching (subclass 134)

Skilled—Independent (subclass 136)

Skilled—State/Territory-nominated Independent (subclass 137)

Skilled—Australian-sponsored (subclass 138)

Skilled—Designated Area-sponsored (subclass 139)

Skilled—Independent (subclass 175)

Skilled—Independent (subclass 176)

Skilled—Regional Sponsored (subclass 475)

Skilled—Regional Sponsored (subclass 487)

Skilled—Independent Regional (subclass 495)

Skilled—Designated Area-sponsored (Provisional) (subclass 496)

Skilled—Graduate (subclass 497)

Skilled—Onshore Independent New Zealand Citizen (subclass 861)

Skilled—Onshore Australian-sponsored New Zealand Citizen (subclass 862)

Skilled—Onshore Designated Area-sponsored New Zealand Citizen (subclass 863)

Skilled—Independent Overseas Student (subclass 880)

Skilled—Australian-sponsored (subclass 881)

Skilled—Designated Area-sponsored Overseas

Student (subclass 882)

Skilled—Independent (subclass 885)

Skilled—Sponsored (subclass 886)

The following processing priorities (with highest priority listed first) apply:

Applications from people who are employer sponsored under the ENS and the RSMS.

Applications from people who are nominated by a state/territory government agency under a state migration plan agreed to by the minister.

Applications from people who are nominated by a state/territory government agency and whose nominated occupation is on the Critical Skills List (CSL)

Applications from people who are neither nominated nor sponsored in priority groups 1, 2 or 3, but whose nominated occupation is listed on the CSL.

Applications from people who are nominated by a state/territory government agency whose nominated occupation is not listed on the CSL.

(i) Applications from people whose occupations are listed on the Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL).(ii) Applications from people who are sponsored by family and whose nominated occupation is not listed on the CSL.

All other applications are to be processed in the order in which they are received.

Even though I don't know how this new changes are going to affect me, I'm already a little bit down, not soo much, but I'm kinda worried. I thought that once my papers were in DIAC, I wouldn't be affected by new requirements :( Let's hope that they won't affect me in a negative way!! As far as the priority process, I'm still in 4th place.

I'll see ya next time!!

Cheers!!!

Maitena